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what the earth could tell them.
    When she began studying the subject, she quickly become intrigued by the Viking Age. She read everything she could get her hands on about the Vikings and how they had lived. Their religion, with its belief in numerous gods, appealed to her. And she was fascinated not only by the Viking ships and their plundering expeditions out in the world but also by the extensive trade the Vikings had carried on, especially on Gotland.
    This course had definitely whetted Martina’s appetite, and she had already decided to do further studies in the subject at the college in Visby after finishing her archaeology degree.
    By the time she was done with her shower, the others had gone out to the bus that was going to take them to the lecture. She went out and explained that she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to stay home. Eva seemed disappointed. They had all planned to have a beer somewhere afterward, to take advantage of being in town.
    After the bus drove off, Martina rushed back inside to get her purse, casting one last glance at herself in the mirror. She looked good. The Gotland sun had given her skin a lovely sheen, and her long hair was blonder than usual.
    He wanted to meet at the harbor. Walking briskly and full of anticipation, she strode across the wooden bridge behind the youth hostel, heading down to the harbor area.

 
    Petesviken was a good distance from Visby, on the southwest coast of Gotland. Johan and Pia quickly left the city behind. Pia, who was driving, nodded toward the sign for Högklint as they passed the exit.
    “That’s a place we could do a story on, apropos the overheated real estate market. Sometimes I think all the hysteria of the eighties has come back. Have you heard about the luxury hotel they’re going to build out there?”
    “Of course. We’ve done lots of reports about it. I guess they’re just waiting for the municipal council’s decision in the fall before they get started.”
    “That’s about right. They’ll probably start building before the year’s over. It’s going to be a giant complex with hotel suites, condos, a gourmet restaurant, and a nightclub. Five star.”
    “I wonder if there’s really a demand for something like that here.”
    “Of course there is. The mainland is swarming with people who have a romantic view of Gotland. People who vacationed here when they were younger and now want to come back with their families and experience the island in a more comfortable fashion. And there are plenty of people with money in Sweden.”
    “It’ll create jobs, if nothing else. Although I can imagine there must be some opposition, too. Isn’t Högklint a nature preserve?”
    “They’re not going to build at the edge of the cliffs—they wouldn’t be allowed to do that—but it’s still unbelievable that the building plans are probably going to be approved. Naturally the biggest protests are from the people who live in the area. They have fierce discussions even when someone just wants to paint their door a different color. Otherwise it’s mostly nature lovers who are opposed—people who work to protect the flora and fauna. Lots of different kinds of birds breed on the hillside at Högklint in the springtime, and it also has one of the most beautiful views on the whole island. Plus I think a lot of people feel that this side of Visby has been exploited enough with Pippi Longstocking’s Kneippbyn amusement park and everything.”
    “Isn’t the owner a foreigner?” asked Johan.
    “I think it’s a joint venture, between the municipality and several foreign investors.”
    “Let’s look into it some more when we have time. It’s definitely worth a longer story.”
    Forty-five minutes later they reached Petesviken.
    The pasture had been cordoned off and was being guarded by several uniformed police officers standing at the gate. None of them would answer any of Johan’s questions about a decapitated horse. Instead, they referred him to Knutas.
    Pia was already at work with her camera, which didn’t surprise Johan. She never wasted any time. He had liked her from their very first meeting at the editorial office. She looked tough, with her straggly black hair cut short, the ring in her nose, and the heavy eyeliner highlighting her dark brown eyes. She had greeted him without any fuss and immediately offered some of her own ideas. That boded well for the rest of the summer. She had been born and bred in Visby, and she knew Gotland